Oahu resort recommendations besides Aulani?

[ladyelizabeth]

Hello fellow DISers!

I am starting to plan a trip to Hawaii. We are, of course, planning on spending part of the trip at Aulani, but I am considering splitting the stay with another resort to break up the trip and explore more of the island. Anyone have any recommendations of other resorts and how you would split up your trip? We are looking to spend 7-10 days in Oahu (we are still very early in the planning stages).

Thank you!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I would stay at Aulani the whole time but still explore the whole island. It's not a very big island.

 

[alohamom]

People will sometimes do a split stay that includes the area in and around Turtle Bay up in the North Shore.
https://www.turtlebayresort.com/You can also find condos and townhouses for rent in the area

The North shore has it's own vibe and is worth a visit, even if just for the day.
The surf is dangerous on most NS beaches from Nov to March so keep that in mind however the "bay" of Turtle Bay is sheltered and doesn't get as rough as the open beaches.

Personally, our family likes to use Aulani as a home base and then do day trips. Most of the resorts in Waikiki that offer the same level of service and quality are about the same price as Aulani and I am not a fan of staying in the city.

If there was a resort over on the East Side near Kailua or Lanikai we would stay there but nothing beats the lazy river at Aulani!

 

[corgi_monster]

I think the Kahala resort and Gold Coast area accommodations offer the amenities of being in “town” without the hassles of staying in Waikiki. Those properties are literally on beaches that are swimmable year round. Kahala and Kaimana beaches aren’t as crowded as Waikiki - you’ll see more locals than tourists. There’s even a monk seal that frequently visits Kaimana beach!

These hotels are ideal for visiting attractions anywhere east of Pearl Harbor and Kailua. Kuala Ranch is a toss up (convenience wise) between Aulani and town. Anything east of Kualoa Ranch is easier to visit when staying in town.

 

[HIRyeDVC]

Turtle Bay on the North Shore

 

[motherof5]

Check VRBO and Air BNB. We found some great places and split between Aulani and that. We did near North Shore in VRBO

 

[ITGirl50]

We like Turtle Bay too.. it gives you a chance to stay near a lot of the north shore attractions (Waimea falls, Dole plantation, Kualoa ranch, food trucks, Climbworks zip lining). Turtle Bay also has surfing, kayaking, hikes near by, etc. It's a beautiful resort where a lot of movies were filmed like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Mike and Dave need Wedding dates (not kid movies).

 

[longboard55]

We love Waikiki. So much going on. Great plus lower prices for surf lessons, outrigger canoe rides, catamaran rides, ocean front dining, free shows, great beach front bars, fun shopping and a lot of history. Completely different experience than Aulani, not much pool action, everyone goes to the beach. Most will visit all properties and does not just stay at one. Before covid it was a great place to meet travelers from other countries. From Waikiki you can take the bus to the Diamond Head hike.

 

[smeg3030]

I've stayed next door at the Marriott Beach Club. I mean the rooms are almost the same layout as Aulani's just not as pretty.

 

[Beer Me]

I’ve stayed at Outrigger Reef resort which is walking distance to the heart of Waikiki and plenty of dining options.

The accommodations are fine - nothing out is the world - but it’s a great place to stay while exploring the island. It’s right on the beach which is swimmable with rentals for anything you might need (chairs/umbrella/paddle board etc) just steps away. Couldn’t be more convenient.

 

[Kmk2]

Turtle Bay on the North Shore

Their renovation looks great! I loved Forgetting Sarah Marshall too. Does anyone know if non- guests can eat at the restaurants?

 

[longboard55]

Non guests can eat there. Roys Beach House is on the beach and a really nice location. We also like the horse ride, you ride along these empty beaches and end up at Kawela bay which is untouched and amazing

 

[Kmk2]

Non guests can eat there. Roys Beach House is on the beach and a really nice location. We also like the horse ride, you ride along these empty beaches and end up at Kawela bay which is untouched and amazing

That really sounds nice!!

 

[jimmymc]

I second Turtle Bay. It's a great location to see the North Shore and the sights on the east coast of the island.

 

[HIRyeDVC]

Their renovation looks great! I loved Forgetting Sarah Marshall too. Does anyone know if non- guests can eat at the restaurants?

They are at reduced capacity like everywhere else but I haven't heard or seen anything that says you have to be a guest there to eat. But I would definitely call and ask, as well as make reservations beforehand.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

We just got back from our first Hawaii trip, and wound up splitting it between Aulani and the Hyatt Place Waikiki. This worked out very well for us, even though we are usually fully "in the bubble" people at WDW. We really enjoyed the Waikiki area, and the true beach vibe of it. There are a lot of resorts to choose from, and the Hyatt place was one of the more economical ones, but still only a short walk from the beautiful beach. We covered the Southern portion of the island during our Waikiki time, then did more on the North end of the island from Aulani.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

We really enjoyed the Waikiki area, and the true beach vibe of it.

I wish I could come up with a good analogy for people to help them figure out whether they'll like Waikiki or not without them committing to thousands of dollars to stay there first. You loved it, I consider it one of my least favorite places in the world. I wonder if it's because you're from California and used to density on your beaches? I'm from the Northeast and the idea of high rise hotels on beaches in Florida, California, and Hawaii gives me anxiety. But loads of people love it.

 

[mousefan73]

I wish I could come up with a good analogy for people to help them figure out whether they'll like Waikiki or not without them committing to thousands of dollars to stay there first. You loved it, I consider it one of my least favorite places in the world. I wonder if it's because you're from California and used to density on your beaches? I'm from the Northeast and the idea of high rise hotels on beaches in Florida, California, and Hawaii gives me anxiety. But loads of people love it.

The best way to describe Waikiki for me and the vibe Is that I found it and the area is comparable to Miami Beach. We simply loved it. We meaning 48-year-old woman and her 71 year old mom. I don’t usually check out this board but we just got back from a day trip to Aulani to check the place out and buy souvenirs, but we actually stayed at the Moana Surfrider on Waikiki.

Waikiki beach and the main road next to it Kalākaua Ave has so much energy, Awesome food in all price ranges and one can spend hours people watching. Never been there before, I was nervous about the beach because you know, everyone always writes there are better beaches on Hawaii. This is true but Waikiki is probably one of the best city beaches I’ve seen around the world. I also found it clean. Yes it’s crowded but that’s a relative term. I’ve seen much more crowded city beaches elsewhere too. And to be honest when I’m swimming in the ocean I like safety in numbers. And there’s so much to see on the water there between the surfers and boats.

As far as hotels we stayed at the Moana Surfrider which is one of the most exclusive ones there but was still cheaper than us paying non DVC Aulani. It was so interesting in the evening just sitting on the rocking chair looking at the beach listening to music. In the evening the hotel and surrounding area came to life. I have heard at Aulani as far as adult entertainment things are pretty quiet. Another reason why we’re glad we stayed there is because most of the sites we wanted to see were on the eastern side of the island in you are there so fast. Diamondhead was literally a 15 minute drive

I swam in the lagoon at Aulani - for me I got bored really fast. Waikiki beach was a better swimming and water fun experience. But if you have really small toddlers the lagoon is more age-appropriate.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

I wish I could come up with a good analogy for people to help them figure out whether they'll like Waikiki or not without them committing to thousands of dollars to stay there first. You loved it, I consider it one of my least favorite places in the world. I wonder if it's because you're from California and used to density on your beaches? I'm from the Northeast and the idea of high rise hotels on beaches in Florida, California, and Hawaii gives me anxiety. But loads of people love it.

Yeah, I get it, a more crowded beach is not everyone’s cup of tea. I wouldn’t say we loved it more than Aulani, but it did have something that Aulani didn’t.
For what it’s worth we aren’t big beach people, and don’t spend a lot of time on the beach itself, but did enjoy all of the surrounding area with shops and people enjoying the area. There’s something fun about having an ABC store every half block and a beautiful shoreline full of people having fun. It isn’t as serene and relaxing as a more quiet beach setting though.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

I think of anyone’s idea of a “Hawaiian Vacation” brings to mind idyllic beaches, in an exotic location, relaxing with your traveling companion - then Waikiki is not the best place to visit - and Oahu is probably not the right island.

If you’re looking forward to beach time, shopping, a huge variety of excellent food, and getting out and seeing sights, then Waikiki will be great.

I’ve spent a lot of time on beaches on Oahu, and really, there’s nowhere on the island to find better beaches to go to. Waikiki has 6 world class beaches all in a row (more or less), with generally the best weather and environment on the island.

For me, going to the beach is an activity. I do it as part of my day. I don’t expect to fill my full day at the beach, so having all of the activities near the beach are great.

For lots of others, this makes it “not Hawaii”.